1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to bowling pin conveyor and setting systems and more particularly to devices for orienting bowling pins within such systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the process of resetting pins on a bowling lane mechanical pin setters and conveyor systems must orient bowling pins so that they can be reloaded for resetting. Generally this requires that at some point in the mechanical conveyor system the pins must be converted from either a neck first axial orientation or a base first axial orientation to a single one of these two orientations.
A common method of orienting bowling pins consists of a rotating belt surface upon which pins of all orientations are received. This belt surface causes the pins to rotate, orienting the pins in one of two axially opposed orientations. With this orientation the pins can fall into slots in a rotating circular pin elevator. The pin elevator carries the pins to a shelf and then allows the pins to fall axially off of the shelf into a turnaround pan having a trough angled downwardly and generally perpendicularly with respect to the pins which are falling from the shelf. Because the pin has a relatively heavy base and a relatively light neck, the pins generally fall into the trough with a base-down orientation. A cross-conveyor then can convey the pins away from the trough in a single axial base-forward or base-first orientation.
A particular problem with this type of orientation device has been that the pins frequently do not fall uniformally into the turnaround pan. Accordingly, their spacing as they enter the cross-conveyor is occasionally too close which can jam the pin setting device to which the pins are conveyed. Furthermore, in some instances the pins are so disoriented when they enter the turnaround pan that they become jammed therein requiring manual removal. Also, frequently pins ride over the edge of the trough and fall onto the floor which also requires manual correction. Finally, as pins are improperly oriented in the pan they can come into contact with belts and sharp metal which are often located just above the turnaround pan. For example, in many orientation devices the belts which rotate the ball elevator and the pin elevator extend just above the turnaround pan and are not covered.
As can be seen, the bowling pin orientation devices of the prior art have been troublesome in that they frequently require manual correction of jams or lost pins. Furthermore, the pins are frequently damaged as they fall from the turnaround pan or encounter moving parts of the bowling pin conveyor.
In attempting to solve the above problems a kick plate has been added to the upper center portion of the trough. This kick plate has a corner portion which encounters the neck portion of a bowling pin which falls from the pin elevator in a neck first orientation. This tends to knock the neck portion upwardly and orient the pin in a base-down orientation in the pan. Pins falling from the pin elevator in a base-forward orientation either do not contact the kick plate or contact a lower portion of it which tends to orient the pin also in a base-down orientation.
Despite the use of the kick plate the above problems with jamming and damage to the pin still occur although less frequently.